ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · bay · bulb · tear · can · trunk · wound · hand

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hand — help
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. hand — in cards
  5. tear — to rip
  6. can — to be able to
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. can — a tin
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. current — of water
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com